Joint Application Process for U.S, Canadian Trusted Trader Programs Planned for Fall
The U.S. and Canada plan to launch a joint application process for highway carrier participation within the respective trusted trader programs, said the White House in its 2014 Beyond the Border Implementation Report (here). The report details recent progress on the Beyond the Border plan, a combined effort by the two countries to improve travel and trade processing. CBP has previously discussed ongoing work to align the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) program with Canada's Partners in Protection (PIP) program (see 1412050024).
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The two countries "are expecting to launch a fully automated harmonization process allowing a joint application for cross-border highway carriers in the PIP and C-TPAT programs by the fall of 2015," said the White House in the report. "This will allow companies interested in joining both programs to submit a single application, and to manage only one Partnership account instead of two." Another U.S. pilot planned for 2015 will "test a new in-bond module process" for goods that start and end in one country, but are routed through the other country, it said. The new module may reduce "the reporting burden on industry and -- as data will be sent pre-arrival -- allow for the advance assessment of risks."
Both countries are also working toward a Single Window, said the White House. The Single Window will allow "Canadian and U.S. importers to electronically submit all information required to comply with customs and other government regulations," it said. The efforts in both countries are planned to be completed by 2016. The U.S. has discussed a potential North American Single Window portal with Canada and Mexico, CBP previously said (see 14061803).
A pilot for the preclearance of fresh meat exports was "negatively impacted as a result of policy challenges and several logistical impediments," said the White House. The two countries are now considering other ways to advance the "underlying objectives" of improved efficiency when exporting Canadian meat products to the U.S., it said. The White House highlighted the recent preclearance agreement (see 1503160009) that allows for customs and agriculture inspections required for entry into either country to occur on foreign soil, among other things (here).